The Recommended Reading Order
For the best experience, you should read the Wide-Awake Princess series in publication order. Because Princess Annie and Liam's relationship, the political state of Treecrest, and the magical crossovers develop sequentially, reading them out of order will spoil major plot points—including their wedding and journeys to other dimensions.
- The Wide-Awake Princess (2010)
- Unlocking the Spell (also published as The Princess's Promise) (2012)
- The Bravest Princess (2014)
- Princess in Disguise (2015)
- Princess Between Worlds (2016)
- The Princess and the Pearl (2017)
- Princess Before Dawn (2018)
Book-by-Book Breakdown
1. The Wide-Awake Princess (2010)
We are introduced to Princess Annabelle (Annie), who was blessed (or cursed) at birth with absolute immunity to magic. When her older sister Gwendolyn (the famous Sleeping Beauty) pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, the entire castle falls into a magical slumber. Since Annie is immune, she remains wide awake. Realizing she must find Gwendolyn's true love to break the spell, Annie sets out on a quest across the kingdom. Along the way, she encounters fractured versions of classic characters like Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel, and finds a loyal companion in a palace guard named Liam.
2. Unlocking the Spell (2012)
Also published under the title The Princess's Promise, this second installment follows Annie and Liam as they try to assist Gwendolyn's new fiancé, Prince Beldegard. The prince has been cursed and transformed into a bear. To break this spell, Annie must travel to find the fairy who cast it, encountering more twisted fairy-tale characters, bizarre magic, and testing her resourcefulness to its limits.
3. The Bravest Princess (2014)
Annie's close friend Snow White is in serious trouble. Her wicked stepmother has mysteriously vanished, and Snow White's father is demanding she marry immediately for her own protection. Overwhelmed by a parade of unsuitable princes, Snow White begs Annie for help. As Annie and Liam try to help her choose, they discover a dark plot: someone is actively trying to assassinate Annie to prevent her from interfering with magic elsewhere.
4. Princess in Disguise (2015)
Annie and Liam are finally preparing for their wedding, but a series of bizarre catastrophes strikes the castle. Guests fail to arrive, key members of the wedding party fall mysteriously ill, parts of the castle flood, and an invading king places Treecrest under siege. With the kingdom cut off by a thick, magical fog, Annie and Liam must go undercover and disguise themselves to locate the elusive fairy godmother, Moonbeam, and stop the spells ruining their lives.
5. Princess Between Worlds (2016)
After their wedding, Annie and Liam plan to travel the world. However, a strange witch gifts them a set of magical postcards from the "Magic Marketplace." When touched, these postcards instantly teleport them to exotic and dangerous new realms. Unfortunately, the witch neglected to explain how to return home. Annie must figure out how to navigate these alien dimensions and get them back to Treecrest.
6. The Princess and the Pearl (2017)
When Annie's father and uncle contract a mysterious, life-threatening illness that baffles the kingdom's healers, Annie learns of a legendary healer living in the remote Skull Cove. She and Liam embark on a treacherous sea voyage, surviving encounters with marine monsters and magical sea creatures. To secure the cure, they must retrieve a giant, magical pearl guarded by deep-sea forces.
7. Princess Before Dawn (2018)
In the series finale, Treecrest has become a popular haven for magical creatures. However, a new group of dangerous visitors decides to use the kingdom as their personal hunting ground. When diplomatic efforts fail, Annie, Liam, and their friends must stand up to these aggressive intruders to reclaim and protect their home before Treecrest is lost forever.
The Shared Universe: Connecting to the Tales of the Frog Princess
E.D. Baker's books take place in a shared universe often called the Greater Greensward. The Wide-Awake Princess series is directly connected to Baker's famous Tales of the Frog Princess series. While they start as independent stories, the two series begin to overlap heavily starting in Princess Between Worlds (Book 5), where Annie and Liam visit the Magic Marketplace. In The Princess and the Pearl (Book 6), Annie meets Millie, the daughter of Princess Emma (the protagonist of the Frog Princess books). Finally, in Princess Before Dawn (Book 7), characters from the Frog Princess series, including Emma herself, join forces with Annie to save Treecrest. For the richest understanding of these crossovers, reading at least the early books of the Tales of the Frog Princess first is highly recommended.
What to Know Before You Start
Unlike traditional fairy-tale heroines who rely on magic or physical beauty, Princess Annie's defining trait is her absolute lack of magic in a world saturated by it. This creates a wonderful dynamic where she must rely on logic, bravery, and physical skills. The tone of the series is lighthearted, humorous, and empowering, making it a fantastic recommendation for middle-grade readers (ages 8 to 12) who enjoy authors like Patricia C. Wrede and Gail Carson Levine.